Research Activities

Overview

ISRO started the RESPOND (Research Sponsored) programme in the 1970s, with the objective of encouraging academia to participate and contribute in various Space related research activities. Under RESPOND, projects are taken up by Universities/Academic Institutions in the areas of relevance to Space Programme. ISRO has evolved the RESPOND programme through which necessary financial and technical support is provided to academia in India for conducting research and development activities related to space science, space Technology and space applications. This is the flagships programme of ISRO to promote the extra-mural research in emerging areas of Space at academia. To enable the faculty of Universities/ Institutes to prepare suitable proposals of relevance to space programme, a detailed list of R&D areas/sub areas /topics have been evolved as per major programmes of ISRO, by the various centres of ISRO and published annually. RESPOND programme is mutually beneficial to ISRO and Academia, wherein the rich talent of Academia/ faculty is being harnessed to support the nation’s Space programme.

Apart from this, ISRO has also set up Space Technology Cells (STC) at premier institutions like Indian Institute of Technologies (IITs) - Bombay, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Madras, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru and Joint Research Programme with Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU, Pune) to carry out thematic research activities in the areas of Space technology and applications, in support of the space efforts.

In addition, conferences, workshops and publications, which are of relevance to Space programme, are also being supported. Respond is also participating in the National Missions like IMPRINT (IMPacting Research Innovation and Technology) programme and Uchchatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY).

With as many as 20 Centres/ Units located across India, ISRO, one of the leading R&D organisation offers research opportunities to premiere academic institutions in the country through its programme called "RESPOND-Sponsored Research"

ISRO Research Fellowships, Research Associateships and Research Scientists hereinafter referred to as Fellowships/ Associateships/ Scientists are awarded for specific projects or Education/Research Schemes approved by ISRO.Change of level of Research Fellow, subsequent to the approval of the project will not be permitted.

The recipients of these Fellowships/ Associateships /Scientists are expected to conduct research work whole time under the Principal Investigator of the ISRO sponsored project. In special cases of individual Research Fellows/Associates, the candidates could be governed by the conditions of Research work as specified by the projects/ programmes/ schemes for which the Fellowships have been offered by ISRO.

ISRO may nominate a member in the committee(s) appointed by the institution in connection with the approved project.

The Fellows/ Associates/ Scientists, appointed for ISRO project, shall not be transferred from one institution to another.

The award of ISRO Fellowships/Associateships/ Scientists does not imply any assurance or guarantee by or from ISRO or any kind of employment to the beneficiaries.

Generally the upper limit for the period of Fellowships/ Associateships/ Scientists will be the same as that of the project. However, in exceptional cases, mainly to enable the Fellow to complete all formalities required for submission of doctoral thesis, ISRO may consider extension of the fellowship purely based on the merit on case by case basis. However, such extensions cannot be claimed as right by either fellow or PI.

Leave for a maximum period of 30 days in a year, in addition to general holidays, may be allowed to the Fellows/ Associates/ Scientists during the tenure of Fellowships/ Associateships/ Scientists by the appropriate authority in the university/institution. The general holidays, however, do not include the vacation period e.g., summer, winter and pooja vacations.

Monthly emoluments of the Fellowships/ Associateships/ Scientists will be paid by the concerned institution by utilizing the project grant.

Note: The scales of pay, service benefits, terms and conditions, etc for appointment are subject to revision from time to time by the Department of Space/Government of India.